Private surgery Australia
Cataract surgery public vs private in Australia
Public and private cataract surgery routes differ by waiting time, provider choice, out-of-pocket cost, lens options and private health insurance involvement.
Data last read: 6 November 2026. All prices in AUD unless stated.
Quick answer
Public cataract surgery follows referral and the public waiting list, whose median wait AIHW publishes. As a private patient you choose the surgeon and hospital and pay any gap above the Medicare benefit and your hospital cover; lens upgrades are often extra. No private wait has been read, so this page does not compare the two waits.
Self-pay price pages read for 7 of 10 private hospitals and hospital groups checked (Cabrini Health, Epworth Freemasons, Epworth Geelong, Epworth HealthCare (group rate cards), Maryvale Private Hospital, Mulgrave Private Hospital, Northern Private Hospital); 11 more hospitals were not requested in this run. Every self-pay price those hospitals publish, for this and other procedures, is listed with its basis on the private surgery page.
How each route pays for cataract surgery
| Route | What it covers | Wait | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public hospitalAs a public patient, on the elective surgery waiting list | Public hospitals only. Time from being added to the surgical waiting list to admission; excludes the wait to see a specialist. | 106 daysNational median, public patients, from listing to admission (2024-25); 11.5% waited more than a year | Not tracked |
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| Medicare: MBS item 42702Benefit towards the surgeon’s fee for a privately admitted patient | MBS item 42702: Cataract surgery: lens extraction and intraocular lens insertionThe surgeon’s fee for the operation only | Not applicable | The schedule fee and benefit are published on MBS OnlineNot shown on this page yet. |
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| Private hospital cover: medical gap, all insurersAPRA specialty: Ophthalmology surgical operations. Covers every item in that range, not this operation alone. | In-hospital medical services paid for by private health insurers, all insurers combined. Not hospital charges, and not a self-pay price. | Not trackedNo private-hospital wait has been read | A$280 average gap per serviceOphthalmology surgical operations, all states, Jun 2026 quarter. 64.1% of services were billed under a no-gap agreement. Source: Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), Quarterly Private Health Insurance Statistics, licensed under CC BY 3.0 AU. APRA does not endorse TreatCompare or its use of the data. |
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| Self-pay: Epworth GeelongEpworth HealthCare. One hospital's published price, not an Australian price | Hospital fee only: excludes surgeon and anaesthetist feesStandard lens included (Clareon AutonoMe). The source does not say whether this is per eye. The page says: “The card says: "Prosthesis and consumables to be added to the package price unless indicated as included under Packages". The card says the package "Includes Lens Clareon AutonoMe"; it does not say per eye. Epworth's self-funded care page says its estimate "covers the hospital portion of your care". Surgeon, assistant surgeon and anaesthetist fees are billed separately. The card says: "Prices are minimum costs payable for this service." The card says its prices are "current as of 1 February 2026". It also says: "Prices will be reviewed with any adjustments taking effect from 1 July 2026". That date had passed when the card was read on 2026-11-06, so these prices were due for review and may since have changed.” | Not trackedNo self-pay wait has been read | from $1,885Cataract extraction and intraocular lens implant: standard lens included, as the hospital publishes it. The card says its prices are current from 1 February 2026. It says prices will be reviewed from 1 July 2026, a date that had passed when it was read, so this price may since have changed. |
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| Self-pay: Epworth GeelongEpworth HealthCare. One hospital's published price, not an Australian price | Hospital fee only: excludes surgeon and anaesthetist feesToric lens included (Clareon AutonoMe). The source does not say whether this is per eye. The page says: “The card says: "Prosthesis and consumables to be added to the package price unless indicated as included under Packages". The card says the package "Includes Lens Clareon AutonoMe"; it does not say per eye. Epworth's self-funded care page says its estimate "covers the hospital portion of your care". Surgeon, assistant surgeon and anaesthetist fees are billed separately. The card says: "Prices are minimum costs payable for this service." The card says its prices are "current as of 1 February 2026". It also says: "Prices will be reviewed with any adjustments taking effect from 1 July 2026". That date had passed when the card was read on 2026-11-06, so these prices were due for review and may since have changed.” | Not trackedNo self-pay wait has been read | from $2,250Cataract extraction and intraocular lens implant: toric lens included, as the hospital publishes it. The card says its prices are current from 1 February 2026. It says prices will be reviewed from 1 July 2026, a date that had passed when it was read, so this price may since have changed. |
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How the bill works
Cost anatomy
Specialist or surgeon fee
The doctor performing the procedure.
May have a no-gap, known-gap or full private gap.
Anaesthetist fee
Sedation or anaesthesia billed separately for many procedures.
Ask before booking; it can be separate from surgeon quote.
Hospital or theatre fee
Private hospital or day-surgery facility charge.
Private hospital cover may contribute if eligible.
Patient gap
The amount left after Medicare and insurer payments.
Depends on policy, provider agreement and chosen items.
Access routes
Public route
Referral and public hospital waiting-list pathway.
AIHW publishes the public wait; the hospital allocates the surgeon.
Insured private route
Private hospital cover plus Medicare and insurer benefits.
Check excess, waiting periods and gap arrangements.
Uninsured private route
Patient pays private hospital, surgeon and anaesthetist fees.
Needs an itemised quote before booking.
Public vs private cataract surgery
| Factor | Public route | Private route | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to patient | Ask the public hospital | Gap costs can apply | Hospital excess, surgeon gap and lens upgrade cost. |
| Waiting time | Published by AIHW: see the table above | Not tracked: no private wait has been read | Ask for the current booking timeframe. |
| Provider choice | Limited by public pathway | More choice of surgeon/facility | Check registration, fees and hospital agreement. |
| Lens options | Standard clinical pathway | Premium options may be offered | Ask what lens is included and what upgrades cost. |
Typical patient journey
Before
Referral, specialist consult, diagnostics and written quote.
Ask for surgeon, anaesthetist and hospital fees separately.
During
Admission or day surgery, procedure, theatre and device/lens costs.
Confirm insurer agreement and hospital excess.
After
Follow-up, medicines, second-side procedure or rehabilitation.
Ask what is included in the original quote.
Route comparison notes
- Neither route suits everyone; the choice depends on clinical need, the public wait, your cover and what you can pay.
- Use the Australian Government Medical Costs Finder cataract page to understand likely fee components before requesting a provider quote.
- Ask an ophthalmologist to explain lens options and risks.
- Use official public hospital data only as context, not a guarantee for individual waiting time.
Usually included
- Route comparison
- Cost and wait prompts
- Insurance caveats
May cost extra
- Premium lenses
- Anaesthetist gap
- Hospital excess
- Follow-up
- Second-eye timing
Questions to ask before booking
- What are the surgeon, anaesthetist and hospital fees separately?
- Is this no-gap, known-gap or full private billing?
- Is the hospital contracted with my insurer?
- Are lens, device, follow-up or second-side costs extra?
Cost terms used on this page
Gap
The amount left for the patient after Medicare, insurer or subsidy payments.
MBS item
A Medicare Benefits Schedule service code used to calculate rebates.
PBS
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, which subsidises eligible medicines.
Known-gap
A private insurance arrangement where the patient gap is disclosed in advance.
Hospital excess
A fixed amount a patient may pay when claiming on private hospital cover.
Related Australian pages
Related pages
Surgery costs
Hip, knee, cataract and hernia: public waiting times and private surgery.
Hip replacement cost and wait times
Public wait-time context and private-route cost questions for hip replacement.
Knee replacement cost and wait times
Public waiting times and the private cost components to check before booking.
Cataract surgery cost Australia
Surgeon fee, hospital fee, anaesthetist, lens choice and insurance gap checks.
Hernia operation cost questions
Surgeon, anaesthetist, hospital and insurance-gap questions for private surgery quotes.
Public vs private
Public waiting lists compared with paying privately.
Private surgery cost Australia
How surgeon fees, hospital cover, anaesthetist gaps and prostheses affect the bill.
Public vs private cataracts
Compare public waiting-list access with private cataract pricing and lens options.
Elective surgery waiting times
AIHW waiting-time context for cataract, hip, knee, hernia and other procedures.
Sources for the figures on this page
- AIHW MyHospitals: elective surgery, 2024-25. Read 26 October 2026. Based on Australian Institute of Health and Welfare material, licensed under CC BY 4.0. TreatCompare is independent of AIHW, and AIHW does not endorse this site.
- MBS Online: item 42702, schedule from 2026-11-01. Read 26 October 2026.
- APRA Quarterly Private Health Insurance Statistics: Medical Services, Jun 2026 quarter. Read 26 October 2026.
- Epworth Geelong: self-pay surgery. Read 6 November 2026.
Sources & further reading
- Australian Government Medical Costs Finder: Cataract surgery — Department of Health guide costs for cataract surgery for privately insured patients. Further reading only: its figures are not reproduced on this page.
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare — Public hospital and elective surgery context.
- Medicare Benefits Schedule — MBS item context and Medicare rebate framework.
- PrivateHealth.gov.au — Private hospital cover, clinical categories and waiting-period context.
- RANZCO — Ophthalmology professional context for cataract surgery.
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